Geneva Auctions Shatter Records As Dubai Watch Week 2025 Closes Out A Wild Year In Watches

**Geneva: When The Hammer Falls, The Market Speaks **Every November, Geneva becomes the watch world’s stock exchange floor. This year’s auction weekend was different: total sales across the major houses reportedly hit around CHF 66–67 million, the highest combined figure ever for a Geneva watch weekend.

At Phillips’ “Decade One” sale, celebrating ten years of its watch department, the tone was set by blue‑chip icons. A Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in stainless steel—the legendary perpetual calendar chronograph from the 1940s—crossed the block for over CHF 14 million, making it the most expensive Patek Philippe wristwatch ever sold at auction and solidifying the ref. 1518’s status as a grail among grails.

Christie’s and Sotheby’s also delivered high drama, but it was the combination of sales that stood out: over a thousand lots in just a few days, showcasing everything from esoteric independents to neo‑vintage sports watches.

One of the standout modern results came from Rolex, with a vintage Rolex Daytona ref. 6263 “RCO” hammering for around CHF 1.39 million, close to the all‑time peak for the reference. SJX Watches For collectors tracking Daytona values—or simply obsessed with the model’s racing‑born mythology—this is yet another reminder that the right dial, provenance and condition can push stainless steel into supercar money territory. If you’re exploring current‑production and vintage Daytonas side by side, Winder’s Daytona hub at https://winderapp.com/rolex/daytona is a logical place to start.

Interestingly, the auction data also shows a cooler climate for many mainstream contemporary pieces. Recent releases from big brands, unless rare or limited, often performed just “fine” rather than frenzied. The speculative heat has clearly migrated back toward historically important references, rare dial variants and watches with real stories attached.